A Moment Like This (2 page)

Selah Donavon stared at the pulsing line on the page pondering the implications of the newest thought skittering through her mind. The plot to her newest story required she gain an intimate knowledge of that desperate attempt known as online dating. She herself was opposed to the mockery of the human mating ritual; however, she was able to justify her cause for bringing up the site and putting her fingers to the board. It was genius!

Writing well required many tools of research. An author's dearest companions were an unabridged dictionary, an inclusive thesaurus, and the plethora of information available at the tip of her mouse's nose.

Marking the world of online dating up as an unconventional resource she prepared her profile. A twenty-six year old female from Harleysville, Pennsylvania who enjoys laughing until she cries, writing quirky stories, and creating new dishes to serve at her café. Her build was how had Dante put it when they were dating? Pleasing and her personality was electric. Well at least her smile lit up the room. She was trusting, spontaneous, and original. She thought herself a true catch with eyes of green and fiery locks of natural red framing the stereotypical Caucasian features of beauty.

Now she needed the perfect name; it had to be alluring yet innovative and all together reflective of her personality and purpose. It took several moments of thought; however, when she had it she had it. Typing the name in to her satisfaction she pressed submit and sat back; all she had to do was wait.

Clicking under his email his eye caught hold of an interesting subject line:
new match found
. Breaking the seal he let his eyes scan the contents within. Sipofheaven huh? Leaning closer he scrutinized her picture intently. She certainly looked to fit the claim. Venturing under her profile he found himself further intrigued. His eyes read:

I'm not here for romance. I don't believe in the legitimacy of matchmaking sites. However I am here because I believe that all writers should thoroughly research the topic they've chosen to write on. Since my newest masterpiece includes an online romance I'm here seeking someone who is willing to 'play house' with me.

Honestly when I feel ready for the commitment I'll be doing my own searching not letting someone else find me. I refuse to be a list of alluring qualities to some pervert who happened to be crossing the information highway at the time. Romance will come to me when it's meant to. I'm not so desperate that I need to look for it.

Nearly laughing at her boldness and assuredness of her needs he began to type a reply. Beyond her good looks this woman obviously knew her mind and wasn't afraid to reveal it. She was everything he had listed on his profile he discovered as he scrolled through and read more thoroughly. He was always up for a challenge; far be it from him not to challenge this beautiful woman's faulty view of manhood and love.

"Prom, that last chapter you sent me was amazing!" Turning to look over her shoulder Promise paused to allow her friend, Adelie to catch up. She was waving a stack of papers wildly about her ringlets of red. When she came to a stop Promise waited for her to catch her breath in silence; Adelie recovered quickly, never addressing the flailing white between her fingertips though using the hand to gesture. "When are you sending me the next? I want to know what his reply was! What her reaction is!"

"You'll just have to wait," the calmer female responded.

"This is your weekend off right?" Promise nodded hesitantly; the last time she had disclosed the information… she shuttered. The memory of spaghetti and Mozart was too much to handle.

"Yeah…but Addy…"

"You'll love him, Prom! I know my track record is a little shaky right now but…"

"I don't know; I was planning on cleaning this weekend," she returned lamely.

"Cleaning?"

"The house is a mess and…"

"Poo," she pouted, "you aren't even going to give him a chance."

"Adelie, I'm just not…"

"What's two hours on Saturday night?"

"Missed sleep," promise quipped good-naturedly yet with purpose. Sighing at her friend's silence she relented, "just this last time."

"You won't be sorry!"

"So you see…" her date continued bringing her closer and closer to dying of overheated brain cells, "it's quite simple really. The ram is the short term and the hard drive is where all your files are saved for long term access. Binary code…"

"Pardon me but what is binary code again?" he delighted in her feigned interest, rambling on for several more minutes about motherboards, megabytes and modems. He was starting into comparing Dell, Sony, and Toshiba when her cell phone rang. Motioning she had to take the call she hunkered down over the tiny speaker and pressed the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Prick?" Smiling at the affectionate term she resisted the urge to cry out in relief.

"Colin?"

"You sound desperate," responded his familiar voice, "who does she have you fixed up with now?"

"I can't say. He's sitting right here," she whispered in a polite horror.

"Tell him you have to go powder your nose," he answered, "I'll call you back in exactly 45 seconds. Walk quickly."

She stared at the phone for five of her precious seconds then rose and tossed her purse on her shoulder. "The lavatory calls," she excused herself sheepishly, hurrying to the shelter of the nearest facility; her phone rang as she ducked in the door and she fumbled in her haste to open it.

"Save me," she pled into the mouthpiece by way of greeting. Colin chuckled on the other side of the line.

"I underestimated how desperate you sounded a moment ago." There was silence then he asked, "what's the man's COD?"

"Cause of death? He's not dead, Colin," Promise chided.

"Good as for your purposes. You really have got to stop agreeing to these dates before I find you on my slab."

"You'd enjoy that very much wouldn't you, Colin?"

"It would help me understand you better perhaps," he said almost sounding contemplative.

"Just help me get out," she hurried, "the poor man probably thinks I fell in."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"What does that…?"

"Have you?"

"Yes, I have," annoyed she continued, "I had a steak; he had the lobster if you must know."

"Dab some of that red stuff on your cheeks and tell him you must have gotten some shellfish in your meal. You're horribly allergic and he must take you home immediately. If he insists on taking to the hospital you know where to find me."

"Thanks," she breathed with great relief, "you're a life saver."

Slipping her phone back in her bag she quickly did what Colin had instructed and acted well the part of her dilemma. He insisted on escorting her to the hospital and she was lacking in color by the time he arrived, her hand braced on the dashboard to preserve her life. Colin was right; she may very well end up on his slab if everyone she dated drove like that.

The nurse on duty gave her a strange look when the man she had eaten with hurried explained what had happened. She stared at her fingers raising am eyebrow when the rash spread to her fingers but waited for the man to leave before passing judgment.

"Colin is in the morgue," the older woman sighed dismissing her from the room after the man had left.

"Thanks, Shyrie," Promise threw wholeheartedly over her shoulder as she descended the floors.

"That's a record time." Colin grinned as he saw her move into the theatre that looked down onto his work area.

"The man drove worse than he carried a conversation," she sighed flopping into a chair and kicking of her heels, "I wasn't sure I was going to make it here alive."

"If not I would have seen you again," he responded with a smile as he inserted the scalpel into the man's chest.

"So what's this man's story?"

"Catastrophe you mean?" Colin inquired, "his stomach became a little too intimate with the business end of a gun."

"Any other wounds?"

"Just he bruises he sustained from falling down the stairs."

"Ouch," she responded with a wince.

"He also managed to…" Promise smiled listening to Colin ramble in about his findings. They had been friends since elementary school and he never ceased to fascinate her. One day she'd write a story about someone like him. That once in a lifetime friend that you could never let go but never hold too tight.

Selah blinked cocked her head as she looked at the subject line. Someone had replied so quickly? Exploring the email she immediately noticed the face. My, my if the man wasn't drop dead gorgeous.

Ok lady, you caught my attention.

Selah chuckled to herself at his bold approach. Most girls would have clicked out of the email then but she was intrigued. Could this be the type of man she was looking for to assist her in her work?

I'm always looking for new challenges and you posed one I couldn't pass up. I'll help you write that story but under one condition. You give me a chance. You say romance will come when it's meant to but who are you to say when that is?

I checked out your profile and studied your picture. You're everything I'm looking for, beautiful. Consider my offer but know even if you turn me down to help you I'll be after you baby. You're the one I want.

Email me soon so we can get started. I'm willing to try anything once. When do we start?

Astonished, she leaned back against her chair, thankful she'd opted for the model with the cushioned back. She hadn't expected such a quick response but she had never imagined a response like the one InYourDreams had sent. Was it safe to reply to? Was she willing to risk it? InYourDreams had been very forward with what he wanted; was she willing to accept his challenge as he had accepted hers? What harm could come of it?

Putting her fingers to the keys she typed back:

One challenge for another only seems fair. We start at your reply.

After pondering on how to proceed for a moment she shut down her computer and climbed out of her pajamas. The café couldn't open until she arrived and no man in his right mind would be up to check his email that early in the morning.

Promise worked tirelessly at the paper before her. Mrs. Damian had been readmitted to their humble community of assisted living and seemed to be doing well. Someone had said her son was coming to visit her today; Promise was wary of the encounter. What kind of person was he? They had all sorts of characters in and out of here visiting.

Would he treat her nurses right? How old was he? Surely he must be up in his years. Well Mrs. Damian was only a few years over sixty. Perhaps he'd only be ten years older than her? Man she was desperate. With renewed zeal she plunked letters on the page nearly hearing them in the silence. Today was a pleasantly slow day.

As the thought passed through her mind the clock ticked noon and patients began to be escorted to the dining rooms by the able nurses of her staff. Rising from her nearly completed document she wandered down the hall towards where the meals were already being distributed. As she came upon Mrs. Davers she gently took hold of the woman's wheelchair and pointed it down the hall.

"Time to eat, Mrs. Davers?" she said amiably. "Did I hear your daughter is coming to visit you today?"

"She's coming to take me to the doctor's."

"Is she? Well I hope your appointment goes well."

"So did I Miss. Genson," the older lady sighed, "this old body can't stand another surgery like the last."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," she assured the small lady fearful of a returning cancer. "They said it was in remission; that was five years ago."

"I know Miss. Genson but I'm still scared to think about it."

"Here we are," Promise announced; taking a deep whiff she added, "smells like ham is on the menu this afternoon."

Settling down for her own lunch some time later she was pleased to see Colin enter the room and look about. Adelie pulled up behind him and was the first to spot her across the room. She waved enthusiastically and grabbed hold of Colin's arm pulling the momentarily disoriented male along with her. They both stop beside where she was sitting. Adelie plopped down immediately while Colin remained standing, getting his bearings she supposed.

They both looked like they always had she supposed. Adelie's attire was as vibrate as her personality, breaking with convention beautifully. Her earrings dangled, nearly touching her shoulders as her strikingly blue eyes danced with merriment. She stared in on one of her reprimands on how she, Promise, never gave anyone a chance. Simon would have been perfect if she just had given him a chance.

Colin stood behind her looking down at the top of the seated woman's head with annoyance. Promise resisted the urge to giggle at the display. Colin had always disliked Adelie's plots to fix her up with someone and the gleeful girl remained one hundred percent oblivious.

There were a lot of other things about Colin today that nearly seemed to transport her back to the hurried days of missed homework assignments and tardy slips. He hadn't changed a bit since the night he graduated over eight years ago. Remembering that time made her blush but thankfully her tinting went unnoticed. She was two years his junior but oh the crush she had had on him!

Today was turning out to be one of those days that transported you into the comfort of the past and its conformity to routine and balance. Why it was like being at the lunch table all over again. Listening the Adelie babble in the background and watching Colin sit so quietly almost as if he was waiting for the perfect moment to make her laugh and send her milk her nose again. He always had been fascinated with the quirks of the human body. Perhaps it was fitting that he had gotten a job as a coroner.

However today he wasn't in his lab coat with his hands covered in rubber gloves and a mask pulled low on his face. No today Colin was Colin. His shaggier hair cut hung down past his ears by stayed shy of reaching the nape of his neck. There was a slight curl to it that made the more prominent features of his face soften. His green eyes studied her with curiosity as he asked, "Are you listening, Prick?"

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, "what did you say?"

"I was just telling your editor over here to stick to her papers and stop trying to rewrite your life. You're happy how you are, aren't you, Promise?"

Promise looked between the two and sighed. This wasn't what she had in mind to discuss when she had settled down for lunch.

"Is anyone at this table truly happy," she dodged; looking down at her watch she amended, "I really must be getting back to work."

Gathering her trash she deposited it in the waste can and made her way back upstairs to her paperwork thinking on what Colin had asked her. Was she truly happy right now? She knew what the answer was but she also knew she could never admit it to either of her companions. Neither would ever let it drop is she were to tell them she was so lonely she had taken to talking to her cat.

Behind the pretense of work even Edith didn't bother her as she sighed over the state of her life. Just as she finished filing the intake reports from the recent meal a voice called her attention upward.

"Excuse me can you show me to my grandmother's room?"

"Sure," Promise replied cheerily, "give me her name and I'll take you there myself."

"Her name is Mrs. Damian." Promise looked up smiling the expression vanishing as her face took on the same startled look his had.

"Aidan?"

"Hope?"